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An Epic of Human Scale

For a 13th-century work with countless characters and roots in a tiny island’s cultural and legal arcana, ‘The Story of Burnt Njal’ is not only accessible and relevant but entertaining.

By

Stefan Beck

July 20, 2018 3:45 p.m. ET

Northern Europe’s culture—at least, in its most charming, IKEA-friendly manifestation—is in vogue in the English-speaking world. First there was hygge, the Danish art of “coziness”; then lagom, the Swedish art of “just the right amount”; Denmark’s lykke, which is evidently like happiness but with more sweaters, mulling spices and decorative...